Wednesday, July 3, brought an abrupt change of plans for many North Jersey communities, as severe thunderstorms forced several towns to postpone their Independence Day fireworks. By early afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the entire region, triggering a wave of cancellations and reschedulings.
Among the first to react was the Township of Dover, which announced on Facebook that it was postponing its fireworks due to a forecast that included damaging winds, hail, and the risk of lightning strikes between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. The revised date for Dover’s celebration is now Thursday, July 10.
Shortly after, the Borough of Maywood followed suit, pushing its event to Monday, July 7. Meanwhile, Ramsey’s Office of Emergency Management informed residents that the town’s Independence Day celebration would now take place on its rain date, Sunday, July 6, 2025, with the original schedule remaining unchanged.
As of 1:45 p.m. EDT, the National Weather Service placed the entire North Jersey area under a severe thunderstorm watch until 10 p.m.. The alert warns of storms capable of producing hail up to 2 inches in diameter, wind gusts reaching 70 mph (112 km/h), and frequent lightning.
In particular, the Paterson, Clifton, and Fair Lawn areas were placed under a severe thunderstorm warning earlier in the afternoon. That specific warning, active until 5 p.m., indicated the potential for winds up to 60 mph (97 km/h) and pea-sized hail.
It remains to be seen whether additional North Jersey towns will delay their Fourth of July fireworks displays, but with storm conditions still volatile, more announcements may follow in the coming hours.
